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| ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological
Science
August 2014 | Vol. 9 No. 8 |
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Title: |
Study on
suitability for Nang Xuan rice variety by combination of
soil database and climate
change
scenario |
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Author (s): |
Nguyen
Xuan Hai and Vu Van Manh |
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Abstract: |
In land-use management, it is important to
identify the suitable area for each unique plant, in order
to have a good development planning. The issue even becomes
more essential for the rapid developing city like Hanoi
(Vietnam) where still have large agriculture land after
re-organization in 2008 and being under the high pressure of
economical development. The knowledge of which area is
needed to be preserving for agriculture is important.
Moreover, the climate changing plays a significant part to
affect on plants, because of changing in temperature and
rainfall year by year. In this study, we tried to combine
the soil classification with climate condition, to sketch
the changes in suitable area for the most important plant in
Vietnamese agriculture: rice. The results could help
decision-makers in land-use management, in order to ensure
food security by preserving agriculture land out of
urbanization process. |
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Title: |
Growth
and absorbance of heavy metals of reed plants (Phragmites
australis) in soil after mineral mining in Thai Nguyen
province of Vietnam |
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Author (s): |
Trần Thị Phả, Đặng Văn Minh, Dam Xuan Van
and
Lę Đức |
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Abstract: |
Reed plant (Phragmites australis) is
an indigenous and wild plant species which was found as a
pioneer plant appearing in many places after mineral mining
in Thai Nguyen province of Vietnam. This plant has the
capacity to uptake heavy metals in soil so that it is
considered to be a good biological control method in
contaminated soils. The study was conducted to survey five
(5) different places after mineral mining in Thai Nguyen
such as Trại Cau iron mine, Lang Hich lead-zinc mine, Muoi
Nac lead-zinc mine, Cay Cham titanium mine 1 and Cay Cham
titanium mine 2. The results showed that reed is a pioneer
plant and appears in different topographical conditions from
catchment areas to slope shoulder. However, dense plant
populations were found in lower places with high soil
moisture contents. Due to long mineral mining process, the
topsoil has been shuffled, causing effects on the growth and
the population distribution of plants. High contents of
heavy metals were accummulated in reed plant body as
follows: Zn 1154.66
mg/kg;
Pb
243.92
mg/kg,
Cd 35.84
mg/kg,
and As 199.02
mg/kg.
The accumulation of heavy metals in reed
plant is proportional with the contents of heavy metals in
soil and inversedly correlational with pH and organic carbon
content in the soil.
It is recognized that reed plants play an
enormous role in absorbing heavy metals and in keeping the
soil free from pollutants after mining. |
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Title: |
Production of energy sticks from the solid waste of straw
mushroom cultivation |
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Author (s): |
Prayong
Keeratiurai |
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Abstract: |
One community in Khon Buri
district of Nakhon Ratchasima province was cultivated more
straw mushroom. Cultivated straw mushroom will cause a lot
of solid waste. The solid waste from straw mushroom
cultivation created environmental problems and affected to
the quality of straw mushroom cultivation. This research had
the idea to study the utilization of solid waste of straw
mushroom cultivation and solved environmental problems. The
production of renewable energy in the form of the charcoal
powder compressed to sticks and the green charcoal sticks
from the solid waste of straw mushroom cultivation. This
research also evaluated the heating value from the green
charcoals and the charcoal powder briquettes that compared
to normal wood charcoals. The method of green charcoal
production was the solid waste from straw mushroom
cultivation was crushed then was mixed with tapioca starch
and was done extrusions. In addition, this study also
brought the solid waste from straw mushroom cultivation to
produce the charcoal powder briquette. By bringing it burned
to black charcoal, then crushed and mixed with tapioca
starch and compressed into the charcoal powder briquette.
Then took the green charcoal sticks and the charcoal powder
briquette, were tested to evaluate the heating value with
the Bomb Calorimeter. This study was the water boiling to
measure temperature of water increases with time. The
heating value of the green charcoal sticks and the charcoal
powder briquette were compared with results from the normal
wood charcoal that was fuel in the same manner. This study
tested to three times, using the quantities of the green
charcoal sticks were 1 kg,
2 kg and 3
kg, the charcoal powder briquette were
1 kg, 2
kg and 3 kg and the normal wood
charcoal were 1 kg,
2 kg and 3
kg. The results of this study showed the amount of
the energy sticks had directly affects to the heating value
and the duration of the fire. The quantities of green
charcoal were 1 kg,
2 kg and 3
kg had the heating value were 0.339 kW, 0.611 kW, and
0.985 kW, respectively. The quantities of charcoal power
briquette were 1 kg,
2 kg and 3
kg had the heating value were 0.603 kW, 0.753 kW, and
1.005 kW, respectively. And the quantities of normal wood
charcoal were 1 kg,
2 kg and 3
kg had the heating value were 0.703 kW, 0.746 kW, and
0.921 kW, respectively. The results of this study also
showed that the heating value per unit of the green
charcoal, the charcoal power briquette, and the normal wood
charcoal were 0.324±0.017 kW/kg, 0.438±0.144 kW/kg, and
0.461±0.212 kW/kg, respectively. The charcoal power
briquette and the normal
wood charcoal had the duration of the fire were 83.33±25.17
minutes and 90.00±30.00 minutes, respectively while the
green charcoal had the duration of the fire was 66.67±12.58
minutes. This study
concluded that the green charcoal and the charcoal power
briquette that made from the solid waste of the straw
mushroom cultivation could be used instead of the
normal wood charcoal. |
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Title: |
Contribution of root and tuber crops in the agricultural
transformation agenda in Nigeria |
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Author (s): |
Eke-Okoro
O.N., Njoku D.N., Mbe J.O., Awah J.I., Ezulike
T.O. and O.C. Eke-Okoro |
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Abstract: |
Nigeria, since 1960 has
witnessed the birth and death of several notable
Agricultural programmes fashioned to develop Agriculture,
reduce rural poverty and earn foreign exchange. More than
twenty agricultural programmes have been introduced by past
and present government in Nigeria. Some of these programmes
have made positive impact to the economy in boosting food
production especially in Root and tuber crops. Currently,
Nigeria is the largest producer of most of the root and
tuber crops in the world but ninety-five percent of what is
produced is consumed internally in unprocessed forms; hence
Nigeria continues to import finished products such as
starch, flour, sweeteners and adhesives that are made from
root and tuber crops, and this is unacceptable. The present
agricultural transformation agenda on root and tuber crops
is mainly to engineer bulk of the root and tuber crops in
the country into value-added products to match the
increasing new tastes and needs for root and tuber crops
products across the globe. It is also intended to provide
job opportunities and generate income for Nigerians. The
potential demand of 250,000 tons per year for high quality
cassava flour by local and foreign companies, and
replacement of bread flour by 40% cassava flour can only be
met with root and tuber crops resources. |
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Title: |
Effect of
acetosyringone on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of
cotton |
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Author (s): |
Afolabi-Balogun N.B, Inuwa H.M, Ishiyaku M.F
Bakare-Odunola M.T, Nok A.J
and Adebola P. A |
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Abstract: |
Genetic transformation method
using Agrobacterium tumefaciens was developed for cotton
plant species. Following the efficient regeneration of three
cotton varieties, the effect of inclusion of acetosyringone
in co-cultivation medium was measured. Subsequently,
transformation was obtained by co- cultivation of 3 weeks
old cotton apical shoot and A. tumefaciens strain LBA 4404
containing a plasmid harboring neomycin phosphotransferase
and
b-glucuronidase
encoding genes. PCR analyses performed to identify the
presence of marker gene (npt II) in the transgenic plants
using primers used for amplification of a 700 bp fragment of
the npt II gene showed that 87% of the transgenic plants
selected for kanamycin resistance were transformed with the
gene encoding
b-glucuronidase.
Routine transformation efficiency of cotton was established
at 1.3%. The mean number of GUS positive apices was 67%
higher when acetosyringone was included in the medium. |
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Title: |
Assessment of the knowledge level of citrus and pineapple
farmers about occupational health hazards in selected states
of southwestern Nigeria |
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Author (s): |
Olajide-Taiwo F.B. and Olawoye J.E. |
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Abstract: |
Farmers are generally exposed to different
types of health hazards and illness conditions in the course
of carrying out their farming activities. This study
assessed the knowledge level of citrus and pineapple farmers
about occupational health hazards in Southwestern Nigeria.
Multistage random sampling technique was used to select four
states representing 50% of the
states in southwest agro ecological zone. The lists
of citrus and pineapple farmers were generated through the
assistance of Agricultural Development Programmes staff and
recognized farmers’ associations in the selected states. A
total of 426 farmers representing fifty percent of the
farmers from the list were randomly sampled. Data were
collected using pre-tested structured interview schedule and
focus group discussion and analyzed using frequency counts
and percentages. The mean age of the respondents was 50
years, 80.5% were females, 90.1% were married, 70.4% had one
form of education or the other while 29.6% had no formal
education. Respondents from Osun (82.0%) and Oyo states
(54.4%) had low knowledge about health hazards and
occupational-related illness while Edo state (61.3%) and
Ondo state (75.5%) had high knowledge. Edo (57.0%), Oyo
(56.7%) and Ondo (74.5%) states had low health and safety
utilization measures. Concerted effort should be put in
place to improve their knowledge in order to empower them
and enhance their potentials in contributing to the value
chain development in horticultural industry in Nigeria. |
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